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- Wikipedia

MRAP (armored vehicle)

Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles are a family of armored fighting vehicles designed to survive IED attacks and ambushes. IEDs cause the majority (63%) of US deaths in Iraq.
...
A June 13 report by the Marine Corps Center for Lessons Learned indicated concerns about MRAP vehicles rolling over in combat zones.

The V-shaped hulls of the MRAP give it a higher center of gravity and the weight of the MRAP can cause the poorly built or maintained roads in rural Iraq or Afghanistan to collapse.

Of the 66 MRAP accidents between Nov. 7, 2007 and June 8, 2008, almost 40 were due to rollovers caused by bad roads, weak bridges, or driver error.

In many of the rollovers troops were injured, and in two separate incidents five soldiers have been killed by rolling over into a canal and getting trapped under water. The report said 75% of all rollovers occurred in rural areas often when the road is above grade and a ditch or canal full of water is next to it.

OK so that is the problem and there is an obvious vehicle modification to counter the roll-over problem which is to fit stabilisers, adopting the same concept employed in a child's bicycle.





The simplest and cheapest way to do this would be have bolt on stabilisers which could be partially unbolted to fold up when not required while driving on good flat roads but where the additional width of the stabilisers would cause problems, such as when travelling along narrow roads, needing to negotiate dense traffic such as in urban roads.

The high-tech and expensive solution would be stabilisers which fold-up or deploy automatically using hydraulics at the touch of a driver's button.

However, when you compare the expense of a good solution to the expense of lives lost by MRAP rollovers then it is a small price to pay.

OK that idea is adapting the existing MRAPs but here is an idea for a completely new design of MRAP. :idea:

The catamaran tank - an MRAP which doesn't roll over!



Conjoined All-Terrain Anti-Mine Ambush Repellent Armoured Next-generation (CATAMARAN) Vehicle

© Peter Dow
The CATAMARAN vehicle concept is the original idea of Peter Dow of Aberdeen, Scotland and was published on 26th July 2010. All copyrights are retained by Peter Dow.

A catamaran - the inspiration for a twin-hulled armoured vehicle

The catamaran tank or catamaran MRAP or catamaran armoured vehicle or catamaran armored vehicle - you heard it here first!

One idea I have for a completely new design to counter ground-blasts yet retain stability would be a double-hull or catamaran tank.

To explain, let us describe most simply the current MRAP vehicle design as an M-shape, looking at the vehicle from the front or the rear, with a high middle, and a V-shaped hull, armoured to deflect the blasts.

Well the concept of the catamaran tank is to replace the M-shape with something more like a Y''Y-shape which is a lot wider for stability and so may not be so good in narrow streets or traffic admittedly.

The central double quotes in the Y"Y-shape represents a line of strong blast-chimneys up through the middle of the vehicle, from front to rear, which some of the blast could go up without splitting the vehicle in two.

This twin-hull, double-hull MRAP would give two distinct cabins on the left and right of the vehicle and however high you need the vehicle to get distance from a ground blast then make the Ys bigger and so further apart which keeps stability.

The leg of the Ys could have blast ventilation holes so that blast gas under the vehicle can escape to the sides as well as up the central chimneys. The more ways the blast gas can escape from under the vehicle the less force the blast will apply against the vehicle itself.

The bottom of the Ys could be either wheels or tracks depending on what ground conditions you are designing the vehicle for and need to cope with.

This dear forum members is the catamaran tank - my idea and you heard it here first. Copyright © Peter Dow, 26th July, 2010.

Considering the wheeled version of the catamaran tank only for now.

My proposal is that the left and right sides while separated are 4 wheeled vehicles which you can drive independently, call those "half-vehicles" Y-sides.

The Y-sides are tall and narrow and even less stable than an MRAP while separated but loading and unloading on and off transport and manoeuvring the sides in position to connect together the stability is sufficient.

Then, when you come to bolt the two Y-sides together there are a number of choices as to how wide apart the left and right hand Y-sides are fixed.

I'll type in some figures so you can see what I mean.

Say, the separated Y-sides are 4 feet wide.

Well for example, the connecting bars or tubes could hold the left and rights Y-sides together separated by these example widths:

• 1 foot, Y1Y so the total width is 4 + 1 + 4 = 9 feet - no wider than a Cougar MRAP and so as stable as todays MRAPs and narrow enough for urban roads and traffic.
  
• 4 feet, Y4Y so the total width is 4 + 4 + 4 = 12 feet, the same as an M1 battle tank, good for country roads, stable but narrow enough to get across most bridges no problem.
  
• 8 feet, Y8Y so the total width is 4 + 8 + 4 = 16 feet, super-stable for open cross country off road where the extra width is no problem for crossing bridges or fitting on roads because there are no roads maybe nothing more than a dirt track of uncertain width itself, maybe nothing but rough ground and rivers need to be forded or not crossed at all and then the extra stability is purely a bonus with no disadvantage of extra width.

The vehicle could even carry the different lengths of connecting bars or tubes for the crew to swap round to change vehicle width which they can do themselves anywhere they can find a flat piece of ground - no special facilities required.



When you change configuration you are changing the connecting bars between the two Y-side vehicles.

So the mechanic or the trained crew would

• unbolt and remove the connecting bars you want to change
• drive one of the Y-sides to about the right new position for the new bars
• attach the bars and tighten them up to bring the Y-sides to the right distance apart.

Well there must be many ways of doing this but here is one suggestion.

The diagram shows how the connecting bars bolt on to the vehicle on one side. The other side is symmetrically the same.

1. The lug welded to the vehicle side (left) bolts to the clevis (at "A" in the diagram) and before the nut is tightened the clevis can rotate.
   
2. The clevis slots in and bolts to the box section (at "B" in the diagram). The clevis is able to rotate here too before the nut is tightened because the clevis is narrower than the inner dimension of the box section, height-wise in the diagram, though breadth-wise the fit is snug to allow the bolt to tighten when required without bending the box section.
   
3. The connecting bar slots snugly inside the box section (snug both height-wise and breadth wise) and they bolt together (at "C" in the diagram) using holes drilled so that when the connecting bar is butting firmly up to the clevis it bolts together. The butting remains firmly the same independent of the rotation of the clevis inside the box section because the end of the clevis is shaped according to a circular arc centred around the bolt hole.
The procedure to connect the two Y-sides vehicles together is that you manoeuvre one vehicle to a position where you can loosely connect the bolts at points A and B so that the box section while fixed to the vehicle has some movement in two degrees of rotational freedom and the connecting bar is sliding inside both box sections at either end but not able to fall out.

This means that the vehicles will be separated by slightly more than the distance that they will finally be fixed at and typically a variable distance apart from front to back, bottom to top. There are too many variables to expect anything else.

If the Y-sides are too far apart then the connecting bars will fall out of the box sections; too close and the connecting bars won't fit between the ends of the clevises.

OK so you fit all the connecting bars like that then winch the vehicles together using two winches, firstly using winch anchor points low down near the wheels - low so as to mostly drag the vehicles together, not just tilt them over!

This will bring the vehicles together until you can slot in the bolts and put the nuts on in the lower connecting bars anyway.

Then you move the winch to higher winch attachment points near the middle and get enough tension on the winch line to bring the vehicles parallel and you can then slot in all the bolts in and tighten up all the nuts!

The connecting bars are not designed to be all parallel to each other. Some need to be at angles so as to form rigid triangles both horizontally and vertically for stiffness.

The "deluxe" or "transformer" version of the CATAMARAN vehicle could have the Y-sides connected by telescoping connecting tubes which could be extended by hydraulics and shortened by winches to allow the driver to change vehicle width at the touch of a button!

When the two Y-sides are connected together, the steering mechanisms of the two Y-sides are mechanically coupled together and have powered steering as well!

The CATAMARAN Vehicle still has V-shaped hulls to deflect the blast. It just has 2 V-shaped hulls, each of half the width of a single V-shaped hull.

The CATAMARAN Vehicle can have the same total area of V-shaped hull measured in the horizontal plane as a single-hulled MRAP!

To lessen the blast forces tending to split the two V-shaped hulls apart, the Vs are angled slightly to form a vertical blast chimney.



The CATAMARAN Vehicle twin-hull design does increase somewhat the total area and weight of the hull armour for the same protected area in the horizontal plane.

Steel safety cables complement the connecting bars or tubes to provide additional hold between the two Y-sides to prevent the two Y-sides being blasted apart.

There is not much more area in the horizontal plane for the explosive force to react with in the catamaran tank because the space between the two hulls is mostly empty space with just connecting bars or tubes!

The benefit is this - it doesn't roll over!

The catamaran tank - an MRAP which doesn't roll over!

MRAP luggage compartments / trailers / passenger trailers

MRAP luggage compartments / trailers / passenger trailers are something I want to feature in my new design.

It isn't really a "catamaran" feature particularly because a mono-hull MRAP could have a luggage compartment, outside the armour-protected volume and trailers are already available for today's MRAPs. A trailer is a trailer, right?

But I hear complaints from many sources about passenger cabins not being spacious, can't afford to make them smaller and so on.

The thing is, if you always put the gear the troops are carrying (heavy guns and ammunition etc.) in a trailer it saves space in the passenger cabin right?

So then the armoured passenger cabins could be made smaller, and the gear stored in a non-armoured volume, either a luggage compartment - a boot or a trunk which can be low, lowering centre of gravity, or in a trailer, which also takes the weight off the MRAP wheels which helps to prevent road collapse.

So for all kinds of reasons I am thinking that pulling a luggage trailer and a non-armoured boot/trunk should be integral to a good MRAP design, not just an optional extra.

So why don't MRAPs use trailers more, when road collapse, heavy weight on the wheels is such a problem?

I know that to use or not to use a trailer is an operational decision that the military make but if anyone knew if trailers were a bad idea for some reason, then would you please point that out.

OK for existing MRAPs (some of which don't have a fixed gun) I can see why the passengers want to keep their weapons with them so that they can dismount guns blazing.

Frankly, a "no fixed gun" APC is a really bad design in my opinion. Even one gun is too little in my opinion.

Defence against ambush is why you need fixed guns on every APC roof.

My design would include a minimum of one gun on each side of the catamaran MRAP.

Actually, I would like 4 guns on top; that is possible and if you read on I will explain how.

Only the guns and video cameras (2 per gun, one wide-angle, the other telescopic sights) need to be on the roof. There is no need for a gunner up top in a gunner's turret with all the high up weight and instability that causes.

The gunner can be sat in the cabin with the rest of the crew and fire and aim the gun from below.

Think of a submarine periscope in terms of turning and aiming the gun, although the gunner would remain seated in one position if he (or she) views the gun camera views on a LCD display. Push buttons to change camera view and push button to fire.

For reloading "the periscope" can come down to allow the gunner to reach the gun to reload in safety.

2 or 4 guns, medium machine guns can be up top and because there is no armour up there, it could work out with a lower centre of gravity than one gunner with an armoured turret.

There is no reason why passengers cannot always carry a handgun which takes up no space. That and cover from fixed guns should be sufficient I would have thought.

Sure I could imagine a scenario when you'd really like to fire a guided missile the second you open the passenger door.

Well you still could do that and carry weapons inside in a smaller cabin if you were not carrying a full load of passengers.

MRAP armoured passenger trailers



In fact, why not have an armoured trailer with a V-shaped hull (or two V-shaped hulls for a catamaran trailer) and carry some of the passengers there?

Then you could really reduce the weight of the MRAP - a much smaller front cabin, much less volume needing protecting in the front vehicle, spreading the weight across more wheels.

Of course an armoured passenger trailer would have guns of its own as well.

I think the armoured passenger trailer idea is a winner, catamaran or no catamaran and it is a concern that existing MRAPs don't use this concept already.

The CATAMARAN vehicle can rotate on the spot!

It is proposed that the CATAMARAN vehicle will have impressive manoeuvring and tight turning abilities, despite its size - including an ability to rotate on the spot as tracked tanks can do.

The trailer, although optional, when it is fitted, it will be attached to the powered and driven front of the vehicle by hinges allowing the front and rear parts of the vehicle to pivot relative to each other in the vertical plane thus keeping the driven rear wheels on the ground but the hinges will not allow any relative movement to the left or right, so as to keep the body and the wheels in alignment.

There are 3 pairs of axles -

1. front wheel drive steered axles, (left and right)
2. rear wheel drive fixed axles, (left and right) and
3. trailer wheel steered axles, (left and right).

The trailer wheels will steer coupled to the front wheels but in an opposite clockwise / anti-clockwise sense to the front wheel.

Each Y-side of the vehicle will have 4-wheels driven so with "4-wheel drive" on both the left and right Y-sides, one might note that the whole vehicle has 8 driven wheels, not just the 4.

CATAMARAN Vehicle Steering Geometry Normal steering


What this arrangement allows is that even with the trailer fitted, the vehicle can be reversed easily. Normally trailers are a nightmare to reverse. The CATAMARAN vehicle will be a dream to reverse.

In addition the CATAMARAN vehicle can rotate about a spot in the middle between the powered rear wheels. It achieves this special ability by virtue of certain design features -

• A first gear which is a low gear for manoeuvring and has a gearing ratio precisely the same as the reverse gear
  
  Two additional rotational gear modes -
  
• Clockwise - when the left side gearbox of the vehicle is automatically put into first gear and the right side gearbox of the vehicle is automatically put into reverse gear.
  
• Anti-clockwise - when the left side gearbox of the vehicle is automatically put into reverse gear and the right side gearbox of the vehicle is automatically put into first gear

When either clockwise or anti-clockwise gear is selected, the mechanical coupling normally engaged between the left and right hand steering is automatically disengaged and the left hand wheels are automatically turned to hard right hand turn lock and the right hand wheels are automatically turned to hard left hand turn lock; those two hard turn lock stops are designed so that the steered wheels are pointed in the correct direction for vehicle rotation.

Whenever either of the two rotational gear modes is deselected and the gear shift is put into neutral, the mechanical coupling between left and right hand steering is re-engaged and the wheels returned to the appropriate direction as determined by the driver's steering wheel which was redundant during the selection of either of the rotational gears.

CATAMARAN Vehicle Steering Geometry Rotational steering


The CATAMARAN Vehicle vs. the MRAP. Which is better?

Compare and contrast the features of the CATAMARAN Vehicle against the MRAP it is designed to replace.

• The CATAMARAN vehicle is not taller than an MRAP with a gun turret.
  
• Yes the CATAMARAN vehicle will be taller including the height of its guns than an MRAP without a gun turret but the CATAMARAN vehicle's automatic guns are quite light and don't raise the height of the centre of gravity much and maybe has a lower centre of gravity than an MRAP with a gun turret with armour and gunner up top as well.
  
• The CATAMARAN vehicle can be the same width as an MRAP when configured narrow, such as Y1Y at 9 feet wide. It can be narrower, the same width or wider than a tank to suit the roads or terrain.
  
• The CATAMARAN vehicle will be as fast as an MRAP without the trailer on a straight road. It will be much faster off road, with or without trailer, because it won't roll over and a rolled over MRAP is a slow as you can get; you'd be faster on a donkey!
  
• The CATAMARAN vehicle will be as well armoured as an MRAP.
  
• The CATAMARAN vehicle will have as much internal cargo space without the trailer and more internal cargo space with the trailer compared to an MRAP.
  
• The CATAMARAN vehicle offers the possibility, depending on the width configuration, of additional external cargo space by strapping certain loads, which don't require armoured protection, to the connecting bars in between the two halves of the vehicle.
  
• The CATAMARAN vehicle will very manoeuvrable even with the trailer attached so its length is no big deal.
  
• The CATAMARAN vehicle will have more firepower than an MRAP. Two roof mounted machine guns without the trailer, 4 guns with the trailer.
  
• The CATAMARAN vehicle is "ambush repellent". whereas the MRAP is only "ambush protected".
  
• Terrorists going up against a CATAMARAN vehicle with RPGs and the like is a more risky proposition for them because the defenders have got 2 or 4 pairs of eyes watching for ambushes with their fingers on triggers to fight the attackers off.

Conclusion

The CATAMARAN vehicle is a better vehicle than MRAPs for any conflict where MRAPs are now the vehicle of choice.

More details of the CATAMARAN Vehicle here.

I think the real question here is: will the CATAMARAN be able to carry Battle Boxes or M113 Gavins to the fight?!

- blackdog

I think the real question here is: will the CATAMARAN be able to carry Battle Boxes or M113 Gavins to the fight?!

Actually I think the real question here is - has he been skipping his medication?

The concept and presentation do look eerily familiar.

- JimWeb

Actually I think the real question here is - has he been skipping his medication?

I think he has been taking to much of something ....

I made an check at the text at the for freedom forum also, and I would like to suggest some small corrections for the catamaran MRAP?
- first of all, the load at the steering axle is max 40% (this figure is lower for steering and driven axle's) of the GVW because the steering axle is not as strong as the non-steering one's
So the load distrubution have to be reconsidered
- About the steering. Because you want to connect the vehicle's with bars, how do want to connect the steering mechanisme of the 2 vehicle's
- Because all connection bars are intended to fix one vehicle rigid to the other vehicle, there will be serious trouble with overall road performance. Especialy at poor quality roads, which will give an lot of material stress at the joints;
- Problem may be the overall width of the vehicle in dagerous locations. For each side of the catamaran will be approx 2.5m, so 5m total for the 2 vehicle's add the connection bars of 2m each, an estimated total of 6.5m overall width

Final question: how those design perform in mountainous terrain ?
With it's narrow, bad quality roads and same quality bridge's ?


Michel

- blackdog

I think the real question here is: will the CATAMARAN be able to carry Battle Boxes or M113 Gavins to the fight?!

Ah Hell No! Please Blackdog, you must never use the G word when talking of the M113. You have been warned!


Just kidding, but that subject is verboten here!

- Michel_Krauss

I made an check at the text at the for freedom forum also, and I would like to suggest some small corrections for the catamaran MRAP?
- first of all, the load at the steering axle is max 40% (this figure is lower for steering and driven axle's) of the GVW because the steering axle is not as strong as the non-steering one's
So the load distrubution have to be reconsidered

OK Michel you asked a number of questions and made a number of points and I hope to discuss them all in due course but for right now I'd like to post the text and image you are referring to so that others can post their opinions about it here as well.

What I'd like to suggest Michel is that because vehicles are very often designed to have more weight on the rear axle, the designers of such "rear-axle-heavy" vehicles been able to use a lighter front axle, lighter front suspension, lighter front wheels as well. They could have made the front equally strong but since it didn't have to be, they didn't so as to save weight. Fair enough.

However, if like here, I am designing a new vehicle from scratch and I have good reasons to want equal weights on each axle (such as wanting to spread the weight around all the axles evenly to help to cope with poor quality roads which might collapse under the weight) then I can specify an equally as strong front, rear and trailer axle.



The image shows some vital statistics for my proposed CATAMARAN vehicle, only one Y-side is pictured.

The front powered and driven vehicle seats a maximum of 10, 5 in either Y-side.

Each side seats 5 =

• 1 - one driver or reserve driver or front passenger +
• 2 - one front gunner and one rear gunner +
• 2 - two passengers

The trailer seats a maximum of 6, 3 in either Y-side

Each side seats 3 =

• 2 - two passengers +
• 1 - one tail gunner

So the vehicle with trailer attached seats a maximum of 16, 8 in either Y-side.

Each side seats 8 =

• 1 - one driver or reserve driver or front passenger +
• 3 - one front gunner, one rear gunner and one tail gunner +
• 4 - four passengers.

The driver can be either on the left or on the right Y-side and then the reserve driver or front passenger would be on the right or left Y-side, respectively.

Weight distribution

The image also shows the ideal weight distribution in relation to the axles.

Each square represents the same weight and length which is

• one eighth of the weight and length of the combined vehicle with trailer,
• one fifth of the weight and length of the front powered and driven vehicle and
• one third of the weight and length of the trailer.

Designing the vehicle to have this weight distribution helps to keep the vehicle well balanced in terms of equal weights over each axle which allows for the same suspension and tyres to be used through-out and maintains this balance with or without the trailer attached.

- Michel_Krauss

- About the steering. Because you want to connect the vehicle's with bars, how do want to connect the steering mechanisme of the 2 vehicle's

"Mechanically" is what I have specified so far.

I have also specified "power steering" (after all if the trailer is attached, there are 8 wheels to steer!)

I have also specified that for the two rotational gears (clockwise and anti-clockwise) the steering is disengaged from the wheels, and the wheels are turned by the power steering to the appropriate positions for rotation.

I have not specified exactly how the mechanical connection between the steering of both sides is arranged, whether by a rod or a cables or whatever.

Essentially the two steering wheels would be locked together. So if you turn one steering in one driver's cabin, it turns the steering wheel in the other driver's cabin. If the two people in the driving seats disagree about who is driving it could be fun!

- Michel_Krauss

- Because all connection bars are intended to fix one vehicle rigid to the other vehicle, there will be serious trouble with overall road performance. Especialy at poor quality roads, which will give an lot of material stress at the joints;

So the connecting bars and the components which attach them to the Y-sides will need to be strong enough to cope.

- Michel_Krauss

- - Problem may be the overall width of the vehicle in dagerous locations. For each side of the catamaran will be approx 2.5m, so 5m total for the 2 vehicle's add the connection bars of 2m each, an estimated total of 6.5m overall width

No each side, as an example I have said the individual Y-sides would be 4 feet = 1 metre 22 cm wide.

I have given 3 example total widths
9 feet = 2 metres 74 cm (as wide as an MRAP)
12 feet = 3 metres 66 cm (as wide as a tank)
16 feet = 4 metres 88 cm (wide!)

So you are way out with your figures Michel.

- Michel_Krauss

- Final question: how those design perform in mountainous terrain ?
With it's narrow, bad quality roads and same quality bridge's ?

The CATAMARAN vehicle (at least the wheeled version I am considering now) is designed as an MRAP replacement, not as a tank replacement, so it performs better than an MRAP on slopes because of its lateral stability in wider configurations, not better than a tank or a tracked vehicle.

In the CATAMARAN vehicle's narrow oonfiguration, it can squeeze between any gap that a 9 feet wide MRAP can.

Doug

I agree. My first impression.

Amazing that the 'G' word was evoked, I think you & I are on the same page.....

Don

Hi,

s0.ilike.com/play#Styx...b93c053112

- C_Sherman

Hi,

s0.ilike.com/play#Styx...b93c053112

You're a bad man, Chuck.

I'd print this out and run it by the folks at the local "Force Protection" manufacturing facility, but I'm afraid it would sacrifice any chances of a return visit.

Interesting,

Looking at the design, it kinda reminds me of this thing,

Engineer vehicle with Ground Penetrating Radar

Don't ask me the official name.

A very narrow crew compartment with "V" hull providing minimum exposure to blast. Lash two of these side by side, remove the inside set of wheels, and now you have facsimile to your Catamaran vehicle.

With your idea a mine blast coming from below would have a hard time penetrating the hull, being that the inside there is no area for the blast to concentrate on. The angled outside would also deflect most away at the proposed angle. The major problem I see is with side attack IED's, like an EFP, And those my friends, are real killers, having witnessed their nasty capabilities. As with MRAPS and all their kin (In fact ALL Armored vehicles), you cannot account for all angles of attack short of designing a vehicle that looks like TWO CONES MATED VERTICALLY, and the new armor packets do not take kindly to compound curves. But I do applaud your effort in trying to find a solution. Ours in 2006-07 was try not to get hit in the first place, utilizing different countermeasures, speeds, configurations, and other tactics that I won't mention, but that's like whistling in the dark .

- Tanklord

- blackdog

I think the real question here is: will the CATAMARAN be able to carry Battle Boxes or M113 Gavins to the fight?!

Ah Hell No! Please Blackdog, you must never use the G word when talking of the M113. You have been warned!


Just kidding, but that subject is verboten here!

Not only is it verboten here (unless you enjoy being the but of continuing abuse) it is also not considered appropriate in any civilized society. Farting loudly when you have a chance to ask the President a question on Live National Television or when being introduced to Queen Elizabeth would be considered a minor gaf compared to combining M113 and the name of an Airborne general in the same phrase

OK well I have to admit there are a few problems with my CATAMARAN vehicle design.

• Heavier armour for the same volume protected
  
• The inner sides required to be armoured and connected together and that all adds weight. Precisely how much more weight is difficult to predict but a significant thickness of additional armour required certainly

Therefore I am now turning to a different and easier idea to solve the roll-over problem for MRAP armoured vehicles - telescopic rear axles.

Telescopic Rear Axles. Extended - Wide.


Telescopic Rear Axles. Collapsed - Narrow.


Hydraulic cylinders components are available to be adapted for this purpose.

The axles would need to be braced vertically to stop them bending under the weight of the vehicle.

Certain design concepts I have previously described for the CATAMARAN vehicle which I do want to retain for the telescopic rear axle design, such as

• Trailer wheel steering
• Armoured passenger trailer
• Rotation on the spot
• Roof mounted remote-controlled machine guns
• 5 : 3 ratio, 5 (vehicle) : 3 (trailer), weight and length distribution

Therefore the telescopic rear axle design although it is perhaps a less radical and innovative mono-hull design than the CATAMARAN Vehicle design, nevertheless it has many excellent features which greatly enhance the performance over the standard MRAP.

So I await with interest to see if anyone can identify flaws with my second major design iteration.

Armoured Personnel Carrier Designed by Peter Dow.

Features

• Front vehicle seats a maximum of 11 people
• Armoured passenger trailer seats a maximum of 7 people
• Vehicle with trailer seats a maximum of 18 people
• Roof mounted remote-controlled machine guns
• Trailer wheel steering
• Telescopic Rear Axle & Wheels
• Rotation on the spot
• Even axle weight distribution
• 5 : 3 weight & length ratio, 5 (vehicle) : 3 (trailer)

More details ...